Improvement in hemp-brakes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD J. GATLING, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEMP-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 29,875, dated September 4, 1860.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD J GATLING, of Indianapolis, Marion county, in the State of Indiana, have invented an Improvement in Machines for Breaking Hemp; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective View of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side view of the heaters, showing their connection with the rocking shaft K.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The' object of this invention is to provide an efficient machine for breaking hemp, one that can be easily and cheaply constructed and that will require but little skill to operate it.

The invention consists in providing a frame to which is attacheda suitable arrangement of shafts, levers, connecting-rods, and be'aters, whereby hemp may be broken in a better and more expeditious manner than heretofore.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to de-- scribe its construction and operation.

I construct the frame A in the manner represented, suitable for attaching the other parts of the machine. The beaters lettered O in Fig. 1 are suspended from a rod or shaft at the top of the frame, and are connected by the branching rod L to the upper end of the lever I, which is made fast to the rocking shaft K. The heaters lettered B are attached to the upper end of the stock W,which is sup ported by a rod or shaft through the foot of the stock hung to the lower part of the frame, and connected to the lower end of lever I by the connecting-rod R, as shown in Fig. 2. The rocking shaft K has a crank, S, which is connected by rod H to a sleeve, which slides on the curved stem or lever G of the camyoke F. The cam D, which is attached to the main shaft to which the power is applied to work the machine, will vibrate the curved lever G and impart a rocking motion to shaft K, which causes the heaters B and G to vibrate in opposite directions, meeting and passing each other in the center, by which means the hemp is broken without its being entangled or in any way injured. By means of connecting one end of rod H by the sleeve to the curved lever G the end so connected can be moved toward or from the fulcrum of lever G, whereby the rocking motion imparted to shaft K may be made less or greater at the will of the operator, and consequently the vibration of the heaters B and O regulated to break the hemp as much or little as may be required. A cord is attached to the connecting-rod H and passed over grooved rollers at the top of the frame and brought down and made fast to the treadle P, by means of which the operator can by the tread of the foot graduate the stroke of the heaters; and as it is esteemed desirable that the woody portion of the hemp-stock should be but slightly fractured at first, that the fiber of the hemp may not be injured by the breaking, this arrangement for increasing and diminishing the stroke of the heaters is important. After the hemp has been slightly fractured the operator by applying his foot to the treadle P can raise the end of the connecting-rod H, and thereby increase the stroke of the heaters to break the hemp as desired. Any suitable power being applied to pulley O on the main shaft will revolve cam D and vibrate the yoke and curved lever G, which, through the connecting-rod H and rocking shaft K and connecting-rods L and R, impart avibrating or reciprocating motion to the heaters B and 0, whereby the hemp will be broken to the proper degree of fineness.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The oscillating heaters B and O, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when constructed, arranged, and operated in the manner and for the pur pose substantially as specified.

2. The cam D, cam-yoke F, curved lever G, connecting-rod H, crank S, rock-shaftK, lever I, and connecting-rods Land R, treadle P and cord attached thereto, or their equivalents, when arranged and constructed substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

RICHARD J. GATLING.

Witnesses:

O. F. IVIAYHEW, R. M. DnMrsEY. 

